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Sand Avalanche Kills Bulldozer Driver In Plymouth

PLYMOUTH (CBS) -- The driver of a bulldozer died in an avalanche of sand in Plymouth late Tuesday morning.

Police told WBZ-TV the driver was working at PA Landers on Hedges Pond Road, a sand and gravel company, when a hillside of sand collapsed and covered the heavy equipment at about 11 a.m.

The driver was trapped and workers rushed in to help.

"When they arrived, emergency workers found a bulldozer operator apparently trapped in  a work area the employee had been using the bulldozer to dig in," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said.

Cruz identified the victim as 65-year-old Charles Pace of Whitman.

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Charles Pace (family photo)

 

Pace's daughter, Amy Smith, described him as a, "hard working man who loved what he did for a job."

"He worked as a loader operator down at the pit and loved to dig in the sand like any little boy would," she told WBZ-TV.

The incident is being investigated by law enforcement and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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